We Remain
by Elemental0903
Summary: What if there was no knowledge of District 13? And what if Beetee's plan wasn't about the Rebellion, but was only meant to get rid of the Careers? Who's going to win the 75th Hunger Games then?
1. In A Cold Night

**Author's Note: it's my first Hunger Games story, and I did my best! I hope it's at least a little bit enjoyable. -Alana Abernathy**

**We Remain**

**Chapter One: Finnick: In A Cold Night**

I'm waiting with Beetee and Peeta next to the tree. We're all very tense. I agreed with Beetee when he said he needed protection, but I'm not totally comfortable with the idea of Johanna and Katniss alone. They're armed, but Enobaria and Brutus are still out there and I know very well that the two Careers are stronger than my allies. Most of all, they're sadistic and they _want_ to kill. After all, I'm almost positive that it truly is a Game to them. I simply have to hope that Beetee's plan is going to work. If we manage to kill off the District 2 tributes, only Chaff will remain. My heart aches for a moment as I think about Chaff. In the past years, I have grown to like the man, and I now fully consider him a friend. I don't want him to die, but there can only be one Victor, and we are all well-aware – Chaff included – that it has to be Katniss. Without Katniss, the rebellion can't go on. The districts are still too weak, too wrapped up in their fear of the Games and of the Capitol, to actually rebel. But slowly, Katniss Everdeen can erase that fear and replace it with will, strength and determination. All we need to do is to make sure she gets out of the arena alive. It's as simple as that. We die, she lives. I'm sure Katniss and Peeta are going to break the alliance as soon as the Careers are down, but Johanna, Beetee and I will continue to watch over them, making sure they aren't killed by the twelve threats of this clock-like arena.

"Are you sure it's going to work?" I hear Peeta ask. I look up, pushing the schemes in the back of my mind. It's not the right time to review the plan. I need to be vigil.

"Yes," is Beetee's curt answer. He's almost done with the wire, which is good, because midnight is getting closer.

"It will work," I say, doing my best to sound reassuring. I don't know enough of this stuff to actually doubt Beetee's skills, but anything could go wrong. Anything.

A few minutes of complete silence follow, and we're more and more tense.

"Something's wrong."

"What? What's wrong?"

"The wire." Beetee says, slowly, in a frown. "Somebody cut it. It's not as tight as it should."

Peeta and I exchange a frantic look. We sprint forward, almost crashing into one another. I grab his arm as he loses balance, and we run. We go the same direction for a while, but we soon part. A cannon increases the panic that I started to feel when Beetee said something was wrong. I have no control over this situation, and I hate it. I don't know who died. I can only hope it's not Katniss. She needs to be alright. She needs to stay alive.

"Katniss! Johanna!"

Part of me knows I shouldn't be so loud, but the other part doesn't care. It's everyone against everyone now. Or at least, Katniss will think it is, and I need to find her before she does something stupid, like risking her life for Peeta. I know he'd do the exact same thing, but Katniss is too stubborn for her own good.

I call the two girls again. Katniss probably thinks it's a trap. But why doesn't Johanna answer? Did that cannon mean _she_ is dead?

In the distance, I hear Peeta yell Katniss's name.

I keep running, and calling. It's all I can do until I find them.

"Finnick!"

Johanna's voice is full of fear, but also of rage. It comes from my right, it's close, but the jungle is thick here and it takes me a while to get there. "I'm coming, Johanna!"

When my eyes finally catch sight of her, I see her fighting against Brutus. She'd doing a great job with her axe, but Brutus is taller, stronger and better armed. In a matter of seconds, I'm by her side, blocking Brutus's attack with my trident. I push him back, away from Johanna, and I immediately charge again, time after time, trying to catch him by surprise.

A cannon fires, and another one shortly follows. It takes us all by surprise, but Brutus makes the mistake of glancing over his shoulder in direction of where the sound came from, and I take my chance. His cannon goes off immediately.

I waste no time, taking Johanna's hand and leading her away. "Is Katniss alive?"

"Yes," she breathes out, adding, "She was when I left."

We run in silence to where Katniss and Johanna were attacked. Katniss is still there, but she's not alone. She's on the ground, an Enobaria is towering over her. She doesn't notice us, not that it matters, she's still too fast. And we're not fast enough. Enobaria's modified teeth are on Katniss's throat, and it's over before I can even raise my weapon. Johanna makes me wince when she lets out a deafening shriek. She lunges at Enobaria, axe ready in her hand. She brings it down, and Enobaria doesn't have the time to register our presence. Johanna's axe sinks into her long neck, and that is it. It's over. It's down to two now. Me. And her.

I'm frozen, and unable to move. To think, even. I feel like I'm lost in a moment, and it takes me a while to realize said moment has already passed. Johanna laughs, and for a long second I'm comforted by that familiar sound. Her laughter has become well-known to me, and it warms me up from the inside, it spreads around my whole body, until it goes away again. Because I remember where I am. Where we _both_ are. Only the two of us. It wasn't supposed to go like this. We were supposed to save Katniss. Yes, saving her meant we had to die, but I realize now that we never had a back-up plan. There was only plan A, and I don't know what's supposed to happen now. I've already lived this moment, ten years ago. But I was firm and calm and patient, and I did what I had to do to go home. That other kid wasn't my friend, though. Johanna is. How could I go home, and leave her here lifeless? Or how could _she_ return victorious to her district, taking away my right to do the same? Now that Katniss is dead, things have changed. We don't have to sacrifice ourselves anymore. One of us can go home. But who?

"What now, Odair?" she snarls. Her face isn't exactly on focus, but when I concentrate enough to see her properly, I notice a smirk on her face. Why? "We stay in alliance and let the Gamemakers choose who they like the most? Or do we end it here and now by ourselves?"

For a while I can't do anything but remain in silent wonder. Has she really asked? Why? Does she really want to fight? Does she think I'm brave enough to kill her? I keep staring at her. She's different, there's something strange about her. After a while, it hits me. I've seen that look before, when she was killing the remaining tributes of her Games and was proclaimed Victor.

Johanna suddenly throws her axe on the ground. "Damn it!" she yells at the sky, shaking with angry sobs, falling down on her knees. When, a while later, she turns to face me again, that horrific look is gone. She stands up, picks up her axe, and walks past me. "Let's go, Finnick. The hovercraft won't come to pick up their bodies if we're here."

I follow her, speechless. What can I say? But apparently, Johanna has enough words to cover the lack of mine. She starts talking, explaining our new plan. "We're going to stick together. They want a Victor, and it's most likely going to be you. I'm sure they're going to create some sort of poll in the Capitol and have their citizens vote for the winner." she laughs, and all her rage and sadness get to me like a stab, because it's true, they would choose me. I'm their sex-symbol. Their toy. Their pawn. Johanna's only an angry lonely survivor. "But if they want you, they're going to need to come and get you, Finnick. We're not going to give them the satisfaction of turning against one another, right? So they'll set mutts against us and they'll play with our sanity with jabberjays – but we stick together. Until the very end."

She stops walking, and her eyes meet mine. There's the usual note of irony in them, but so much more as well. Sadness. Acceptance. Tenderness. Defeat. Pain. "Of course, if you feel like killing me with that trident of yours during the night, I won't hold it against you, I promise. After all, Annie's waiting for you back in 4, and I'm in between you and her now."

I shake my head, and pull her closer to me. This is the first time I've ever hugged her. "You're safe with me, Jo. We stick together."

"Right." she pulls back with a small laugh that doesn't fool me. "We need food. Let's go to the beach. I guess we can spend the night there."

We grab every walnut we see, on the way there, and I find some mint. Its smell reminds me of Annie, and I'm sure if it weren't for the cameras I'd cry. Annie is so sweet and innocent... she doesn't deserve to see me like this. I don't want her to watch me die. I know it will be the last straw for her, and if it weren't for Johanna, I wouldn't give it a second thought. I'd just kill the other tribute and go home to Annie. But I didn't prepare myself for this, and my love for Annie, as strong as it is, isn't enough to make me murder my friend.

"I can hear you thinking, Finnick."

I sigh at Johanna's words. "I can't help it."

"You sure can. You can help me get our breakfast."

We're at the beach, and I didn't even notice. It scares me. I should be keeping a constant vigilance to prevent any incoming threat, but I tuned everything out instead. Johanna's right, I need to do something. Now.

"Take care of the food. I'll make a fire and get water." she instructs me. I agree, but it's hard. I'm starting to feel the tiredness.

Johanna gets plenty of water from the trees, and gathers some wood. I find a lot of shellfish and I even look for more mint and edible plants. I could really go without eating for a while, but I know I have to, and it's going to be a nice breakfast. I sit beside Johanna on the sand, and we manage to share a smile. We eat in a comfortable silence, only exchanging a few words here and there. We're both worn-out, physically, yes, but above all psychologically. We lost more than one friend today, and the reality that surrounds us is too frightful for us to forget it.

"We should go back to the tree, after we've rested," I tell her, "To get the backpacks and the others' weapons. We might need them."

"That's what I was thinking. We should be safe sleeping here, but I'd feel better if we kept watch anyway..."

"I agree. I can be first." I offer.

"No," Johanna shakes her head, and I can see her swallow a wave of tears. "You go on and sleep, Finnick. You look tired. I'll be alright for a few more hours."

I can see she really wants to be alone, so I eagerly nod. After all, I need a break from by thoughts. It's absurd, but I haven't had a single nightmare here in the arena...maybe because I'm already into one.


	2. There Will Be No Fair Fight

**We Remain**

**Chapter Two: Johanna: There Will Be No Fair Fight**

Finnick falls asleep within seconds, and I take a few steps away from him. I'm sure everyone is thinking I'm walking away, leaving Finnick alone. But as I told him, we stick together; we might be forced to turn against one another in a few days time, but I'm not going to abandon him without a goodbye. I simply want to be on my own for a while. The adrenaline of my fight with Brutus kept me from thinking, but now the stillness of the arena allows my mind to wander, and it's even more painful than I imagined. Katniss died. It's my fault she died. I didn't slit her throat, but my contribution to her death is big. I hit her too hard. I shouldn't have hit her at all. We could have managed. We could have fought Brutus. She would have lived. Instead, I hit her, I held her down, I pretended to be killing her, and I acted all too well, because it led to her actual death. I didn't think Enobaria would find her, though. I was sure Katniss would get up as soon as I was out of sight. I was so sure. Too sure. And I paid for it. I'll pay for it for the rest of my life, if I make it out of here. Which is a terrifying perspective. I don't know what scares me the most, getting out or staying in. I have nothing nor no one to go home to, in District 7, and I surely blew up any chance of a rebellion by knocking Katniss unconscious, so I should be grateful for this chance to just end it all – all my suffering, all my being a pawn in our dearest President's beloved game. I should be happy that Finnick gets to return to his district, to Annie. But I'm not. Well, I am – but not enough. I still want to live. I survived the Games once, and all I can think about, besides 'I killed Katniss', is how I could very well do it twice. I went through a bloodbath, plus twenty-five days in the arena, where I watched kids kill each other, and where _I_ killed kids. I went through President Snow's threats, followed by twelve days of forcing a smile for the Victory Tour. I went through minutes of agonizing unforgettable pain while I watched my loved ones die, one by one. My father. My mother. My brother. And I went through another bloodbath, a rain of blood, and watching my mentor die. And now, now only one person separates me from being out of it again. When you've survived so many horrible things, you don't want to die. Finnick is my friend. I tried not to consider him one, not to get close, but I did, and now I only have myself to blame. I'll either have to take away his life, or end my own, because I know he'd never hurt me. Unlike me, he's too good of a person.

It's too much. I don't think I can take it. My breath gets stuck in my throat, my knees bend and I fall on the sand of the beach. I'm shaking. I don't think I've ever felt this powerless, not even when the slip with my name on it was drawn from the reaping ball four years ago. For the first time in years, I truly cry. I refused to look weak when my family was took away from me, though I shed a few tears in the privacy of my new home in Victor's Village. And what I did during my games wasn't much more than an act, a strategy. Yes, I was scared out of my mind, but I was exaggerating. But now, now that I'm here with Finnick, now that it's just the two of us – now I can't stop. It's too much to handle. I was angry before, but it's turned into sadness now. And I don't know how to cope with sadness, having forced myself to block that particular feeling until now. It's what the arena does, it brings everything out of you. And usually it's the bad things.

I can't remember the next hour or two. It's all foggy. I know I started crying, as silently as I could, because I didn't want Finnick to see me like that. Little by little, the flow of thoughts slowed down and stopped, leaving me empty. The next thing that I remember with clarity is the dawn. Finnick didn't even stir, but I calmed down and watched. District 7 is so beautiful at dawn. It's my favorite time of the day. The way the light switches through the trees, hits the roofs of the houses – it's just plain beauty. Even here in this place of death, it's amazing to see a new day come. It sets my mind at rest, and gives me a break. I glance around, stretching. I must have curled up in a ball during my breakdown, because I'm covered in sand, that glued to my sweaty body. It's so hot here. Back home, our trees provide us with a good shelter from the sun, and the temperature is constantly fresh.

I look at Finnick, still asleep. I decide to let him rest for the moment. He'll wake up on his own as the light grows brighter, and I need some more time for myself. I still feel too fragile and I don't want him to notice. I don't want him to ask about how I feel, or about what happened with Katniss last night. I know he'll ask, at some point, but the later the better. I'm already reliving it as it is.

Stretching myself, I walk to a tree to take some water. This place makes you constantly thirsty, something I'm no used to, and if it weren't for Haymitch's help – and Katniss's intuition – we would be long dead. I splash some water on my face, but it's not enough. Soon after, I find myself in the artificial sea around the Cornucopia, and the relief is immediate. I'm still scared, sad and tired, but as my muscles relax I can't help but feel a little hope. Maybe, just maybe, I'll be okay.

It's been a few minutes since I dove in the water, and I can see that Finnick is starting to wake up. He tosses and turns for a while, and eventually emerges from his tight sleep as I pull myself out of the blue paradise.

"Good morning."

He jumps up, glancing around, as the reality of the day sinks in. "It's morning! Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I wasn't tired, Finnick. It's okay, I feel fine."

He fixes those District 4-ish eyes of his on me, and I look away. They always make me feel like he's seeing through me.

"Liar. You're exhausted. Rest for a while, Johanna. You need to be at your best."

Another quick glance at him tells me he won't take no for an answer, so I give him a slight nod. "Two hours, Finnick. Not one minute more."

"Sure, I'll wake you. Go on and sleep, Jo. I'll keep us safe."

Those words, supposed to make me feel better, only bring more tears to my eyes, and I promptly shut them before he can see them. I slide down, and drift off in a second.

When I wake up, I feel panic rise again. I don't feel better, but worse. The hot temperature is making it difficult to breathe, and the consciousness of my current location is heavy on my mind. Silently, Finnick hands me some water to drink. I'm glad he's here. I shouldn't be, because one of us will die, but he's my friend and having him here make me feel safe, at least. Which is a lot in the arena. Finnick's eyes don't leave me, and I snap. "What, Odair?"

He sighs, looking away from me. "Nothing, Jo. You just seem... off. Which is understandable, because I feel the same way. I just wanted to tell you that if you want to talk..."

He lets his words hang in the air between us, and after a few minutes of silence I realize he expects me to say something. So, half for the audience and half because it's true, I say, "Thank you, Finnick. I don't feel like talking right now, but I know you'll be here when I do. And if _you_ need to talk... I'm here. Always."

Well, that's obviously not the truth. But a girl can dream, right?

"Come on, let's move. We can eat while we walk. Here's my plan: we grab a few more weapons from the Cornucopia, just to be on the safe side. Then we go back to see if the hovercraft left something when they picked up the bodies? Alright?"

The thought of going back where Katniss and Enobaria died is horrible, but I know Finnick is right.

"Sure. Let's go."

"Here, I got some fish while you were asleep."

I start eating, looking around. I can admit, at least to myself, that I didn't really took in our surroundings while I was keeping watch. I was too shocked and emotional, but now I can sense that something has changed from last night. "What time do you think it is, Finnick?"

Like me, he glances at the sun, trying to use its position in the sky as a clock. "I'm not sure... it should be around six-thirty. Why?"

"I think so too. I was awake when the sun rose, and it probably was around four in the morning. It's been two good hours, almost three. So... it's time for the beast, isn't it?"

"It should be, yeah." he agrees slowly, his eyes fixed on the six-to-seven section of the arena. We both wait to see or hear the muttation, but nothing happens. "But there's no tribute there now, so maybe that's why we can't hear it."

"I really hope you're right, and that they're not messing with us." Although, deep down, I know they are. And not knowing what to expect will be fatal to us.

"Let's stick to the plan, Jo. We're safe in this section for now. If we don't see alligators nor the big tsunami, then they changed the arena and we'll take it from there."

I take two knives, and Finnick chooses a spear. After that, we're on the move. It doesn't take us much time to get to where I hit and then left Katniss. Her body is gone, but I can see her and Enobaria's blood dried on the grass. I feel nauseous.

"Look." Finnick points to the ground between two roots.

There's the mockingjay pin. I kneel down and take it. It must have fallen when Katniss was retrieved. I squeeze it tight, holding on to it. I promise to Katniss, inside my head, that I'll bring it back to her district. Any means necessary.

"There's nothing else here, let's move."

We easily reach the tree that was supposed to be our weapon against Brutus and Enobaria. As I expected, everything is gone. No wire. No knives. Nothing. We don't really need them, anyway.

I'm about to suggest going back to the beach, when a growl comes out of the jungle vegetation. Finnick twirls, ready to charge with his trident. I'm frozen in the moment, trying to make everything fall into its place.

"Look out, Johanna. Be ready to defend yourself. Something's coming."

We only have to wait a handful of seconds before a herd of mutts jumps out of the plants and attacks us. They're similar to the ones that attacked Katniss, Peeta and Cato last year, but they're slightly smaller... and fiercer.

I block everything out of my mind except for my survival instincts. I stab one mutt on its neck, and cut another one on the chest. Their fur is thick and resistant, hard to actually pierce in depth. I won't be able to do much with only my knife and axe, they're too small. Finnick screams beside me, and I look away from the animals for the fraction of a second. He's bleeding, he has a big wound that goes from his shoulder to his navel. I shouldn't have glanced in his direction, because before I know it I'm on the ground, one mutt over me and another one on its way to my face. I close my eyes, ready to die, when something lifts the mutt from my chest, and suddenly they're gone. They disappeared. I stand there, still, frightened, confused. Until a moan catches me.

"Finnick! No no no, don't stand up. Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand, Finnick. Can you feel your legs?"

He doesn't answer me, but I already know he doesn't. The wound on his chest is bleeding heavily, but thankfully it's not too deep. But his leg, his left leg was almost cut off from his body by the muttation's teeth.


	3. There Will Be No Good Night

**We Remain**

**Chapter Three: Finnick: There Will Be No Good Night**

I scream in agony as Johanna once again cleans my wound. It hurts so much that it's almost unbearable, and I wish she would just let go. But I know she won't, because when I asked her to get it over with and win the games, she punched me straight in the face. Hard. I still have the bruise. So now we're stuck here in the middle of the jungle, because I can't move. Our mentors, thanks to numerous sponsors, sent us a medical kit that contained bandages, antiseptic and a strange medicine that we'd never seen before. It didn't do much though, except momentarily stopping the bleeding. Johanna claims it's a good thing and that it'll heal, but I know better. This isn't enough. It doesn't bleed anymore and it might not get infected but I can't move and I'm getting weaker as time passes. I won't last for much longer, and I know she knows it too.

"This was the last bit of antiseptic," she says with a frown, and part of me is glad to hear it. One step closer to the end. Johanna may disagree, but a great part of me is happy that she gets to win.

"Good, that means you won't torture me any longer cleaning my leg." I tell her, but I regret it instantly when her face falls. "Sorry, Jo. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just... cranky."

She shakes her head, and when she speaks again I'm surprised to find no sarcasm in her voice. "Don't mention it. Hey, don't worry, Fin. Lera and Jonah will send us more antiseptic and medicine soon. You'll feel better then."

She's lying, but I'm too tired to contradict her. If our mentors don't send us anything within sunset, it means it's over. I won't see Annie again. Her beautiful smile, her dreamy eyes, her silky hair. I'm scared for her, because she'll be alone, without Mags and me. There will be no one to protect her from Snow or from her constant nightmares. At the same time, though, I'll be free. In the past ten years, the President has controlled my life like no one should have the right to, and I let him, fearing for my family's safety. Now he won't anymore. He'll have to find someone else to torture, and I hope it won't be neither Annie nor Johanna, but at least, as selfish as it sounds, it won't be me. That's what I hate the most about the Hunger Games: they make you become selfish. They make you wish for someone else to die, for someone else to feel pain and despair, so that you can be sheltered from it as long as possible. But in the end, what we all try to deny is that death is our best chance. It frees us, even if it leaves everyone we love behind. It pains to leave Johanna, Annie, the other rebels... but all I want now is to be free from Snow. I won't give him the satisfaction of being his Victor a second time.

It's been several hours since the mutts attacked us, and we're both tired, hungry and sweaty. We can have water easily, but the heat is too much to bear and it's getting hard to even breath normally. "Johanna...you have to find some food. I'm weak, and I can see that you are, too. I can't walk. You should go look."

Although I don't like the idea of Johanna alone in the arena, and I'm sure she doesn't either, it's the only choice, and, despite her deep frown, she knows it.

She slowly stands up, then looks at the sky. I know what she's doing. She's sending a silent prayer to our mentors. A desperate request of food, more medicine, anything. Even an empty bottle to store our water. Or a message, hidden in whatever they choose to send us. But it won't come.

"Johanna, they don't have money. They must have spent everything for my medicine and antiseptic. They can't send us anything else tonight. We'll have to wait for them to talk to more sponsors."

Camouflaging a shiver with an indifferent shrug, Johanna turns towards me again. "I'll go then. I won't be long. Rest. Drink lots of water. Don't fall asleep. And shout if you need me. I'll stay nearby."

"Of course."

I give her my best smile, the one I usually save for my Capitolite admirers. It makes them fall to my feet, and, most importantly, it hides my true emotions. I've never tried it with Johanna, and I hope it works. If she catches what's beneath it, she'll never leave my side.

She disappears into the jungle, and I let out a sigh. I try to sit up, but my whole body hurts, and I soon give up.

The next hour is one of the longest I've ever experienced. I entertain myself studying the vegetation around me. There are several types of trees, but it would be more useful if I knew their names. Same with the bushes, the flowers and the birds. Thankfully, I see no other mutations, just a few 'normal' and innocuous animals. Then I carefully make another basket for our food and water, but it's something I've been doing since I was a little kid, and it only takes me a handful of minutes.

I try to straighten up again, and this time I manage. I lean my back against a big log.

I almost fall asleep at some point, but I jerk up when I hear a scream. Johanna's scream. I instinctively take hold of my trident, but when I'm about to stand up, I realize, with panic, that I'm not strong enough.

_I have to. I have to._ These are the three words that I say over and over in my head. Johanna keeps screaming, it's getting more frantic. I can hear her shout my name. She's definitely in pain.

"Johanna! I'm coming, Johanna!"

But it's useless. I can't move. I thrust my trident into the ground, but even when I pull myself up with all my will and hope, it's beyond my current abilities. I'm too weak. I'm hungry and thirsty, and my leg is throbbing in escalating pain. "Johanna!"

I try and try, and eventually, I surrender. I panic when Johanna stops screaming. Is she dead? But no, I heard no cannon. Is she _almost_ dead then? Could I actually win this thing?

I don't know how much time passes. I wait, and wait. The sun gets ready to set – whether naturally or artificially, I do not know. I feel like I can't stand the pain. I barely have the strength to get water from a tree and drink it. It's too hot. It feels like I didn't drink at all.

At some point, I fall asleep, and a nightmare wakes me up. I dreamed I was in the Hunger Games, again. For the third time. I dreamed I had to kill my mother, and my father, and my little brothers. My grandparents, too. I dreamed Snow. He made me kill Annie. I killed her once, twice, and then again, and again, until a secret part of me dreamed of something equally scaring. I dreamed I had won, again. I dreamed the Victory Tour, and the women I have to please. I dreamed a life without Annie, and Johanna, and Haymitch. A life spent mentoring lost tributes. A life spent watching District Four's Victors regretting to have won. And that, in some ways, is even worse than Annie's death.

When I wake up, I'm suffocating. I reach for the water I had gathered earlier, but the temperature has risen and it's almost evaporated. I make a frantic attempt to get some more, but my hands are shaking, and I fall back against the log.

"Johanna..." I whisper.

Did her cannon go off while I slept?

"Finnick! Finnick!"

She's here. I hear her voice in the distance, and before I can convince myself that I'm only hallucinating, she comes running towards me. I swear she's never been this beautiful. Her voice has never been so sweet. She saves me.

Slowly, she helps me drink. She wipes my face with some grass, checks my leg and chest, makes me eat an apple. Its taste is different than what I'm used to, but everything here is abnormal. After the initial confusion, I enjoy every single bite.

Eventually, Johanna wraps her arms around me and cries for a few minutes. I almost ask what happened, but stop myself. I know I wouldn't want to talk about it.

After a while, though, she starts telling.

"They changed everything, Finnick. I was supposed to be in a safe zone. I crossed the eleven-to-twelve zone. I thought I'd stay there for an hour, then come back to you. But when I tried to come back, there was an invisible wall. I was forced to go the other way. Then a flock of jabberjays followed me. At first I heard Katniss's voice. She seemed in pain; then she began to talk about how I had her killed. How it was my fault. I tried to ignore her... I heard your voice next. And Annie's. And Haymitch's. And my family's. I knew it wasn't real, but it was awful. I tried to run, but they followed me. One of the jabberjays bit me. When they finally left, I realized I was hallucinating. Some kind of poison, I don't know. I was kind of... convulsing. I could see dead people walking towards me. They were talking to me."

Johanna stops talking, and we stay in silence for a long time. I think she's sleeping until I feel her hand trace invisible drawings on my chest.

"I reached the beach. I think it's the only safe zone. I was alone there. I dove into the water and stayed there for a while. I cried. I calmed down. I decided to come back here as fast as I could, without gathering food. But not far from here I found an apple tree and took as many as I could."

She sits up then, and rests her chin of her knees. She's completely worn out.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"I will, just give me some more time."

I nod, understanding how shaken she must be. I am, too.

I try to smile, but she's not looking at me. So I reach out and take another apple, savoring its juicy taste. I feel better, and soon after I finish it I bite on my third apple. There's still plenty for Johanna, and we can look for more when I feel stronger. The pain is already fading.

"You should try one, Jo. They're good. I almost feel like I wasn't attacked at all."

Johanna finally looks at me again, brushing off her thoughts. "What?" she asks.

"I don't know what kind of apples these are, but I've never felt so energetic."

Johanna frowns and takes the apple from my hand.

"Hey! Give it back, I'm hungry. I waited for you for hours."

She just stands there staring at my half-eaten apple, so eventually I decide to ignore her and take a new one.

The first bite is as heavenly as cool water in a hot summer day.

Then I start to violently vomit.


End file.
